Big Results Now gets 146.6bn/- pledge

By The guardian reporter

19th September 2013

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Professor Adolf Mkenda

Government’s Big Result Now (BRN) programme has received 146.6bn/- to support its implementation. The funds come from development partners who made their commitment through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed last week.

A press statement availed to The Guardian yesterday by the President’s Delivery Bureau, Department of International Development and United States Agency for International Development explained that the signing of the MOU was done at the Ministry of Finance on September 11 this year and was officiated by the Ministry’s Acting Permanent Secretary Professor Adolf Mkenda.

The support will enable the President’s Delivery Bureau (PDB) to oversee, monitor and evaluate the implementation of projects in the six National Key Result Areas which are Agriculture, Education, Energy, Transport, Water and Resource Mobilisation.

The funding from the development partners who include the World Bank and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is as follows: DFID GBP 37 million, USAID USD 15 million, and World Bank - USD 10 million and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation USD 9 million.
Another pledge is from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency which is expected to commit by January 2014.

The PDB’s Chief Executive Officer Omari Issa commended the Development Partners for their support and reassured them that the Bureau will monitor closely the implementation of the BRN programme as agreed in the MOU.

“The support from the Development Partners will contribute significantly to Tanzania’s development, especially in the six national priority areas.” Ministry of Finance Acting Permanent Secretary Professor Adolf Mkenda, said and reaffirmed the government’s commitment towards implementation of the content of the MOU.

"I can truly say, Big Results Now is one of the most exciting things I have seen in my development career..." said Dr. Marshall Elliott, Head of DfID Tanzania.

Dr Elliott emphasized the significance of BRN as a bold and progressive stride to improve the lives of Tanzanians. Seconding her view was Mission Director of USAID Tanzania, Sharon Cromer who noted that, “…by signing this MOU, we are demonstrating our cooperation and mutual commitment to moving forward Big Results Now.“

On behalf of the World Bank, Zainab Semgalawe reaffirmed that the Bank is committed to working with the Government of Tanzania and the development partners through BRN and other initiatives to ensure that the country realizes its economic transformation.

BRN is a performance management initiative by the Government of Tanzania to establish an effective system meant to oversee, monitor and evaluate performance contracts on implementation of development plans and programmes.

The Big Results Now initiative subjects the National Key Development Areas to intense problem solving using lab methodology guided by the following key principles: prioritisation of national key result areas and resources, detailed implementation plan, performance benchmarks and monitoring tools, accountability on performance (signed contracts) among others.